Monday, Vegas 3, plus toxic pineapple

Next up the street, I go to the Aria for the first time, to find Julian Serrano and confirm my lunch reservation for Wed. While there, might as well try Julian’s attempt at molecular gastronomy, the lobster and pineapple skewers and a glass of sangria. This is a Spanish restaurant, the sangria should be a given, right? Uh….Well, Jaleo had great sangria and bad food, maybe Julian is the reverse? 4 skewers of pineapple lobster supposed to be Julian’s bid for molecular gastromic fame and it sounds right. Seafood and citrus usually works. Great big hunk of pineapple, which almost but not quite drowns the lobster. Initial impression: much tastier than the John Dory; at least I’m not being drowned in a sea of fishified failure. By the 2nd skewer, I’m replaying Jose Andre’s complaint to Anderson 60 minutes, about the endless chewiness and diminuation of flavour of a piece of meat. You keep chewing and chewing an essentially tasteless palate occupier. But tasteless, however tedious, is better than a bad taste. The sangria never really helped, for all its claim to fruity responsibility, and I left Serrano’s chagrinned. First night in Vegas and things were not going well. The vile aftertaste of the pineapple lingered long in my mouth until a mighty battle with a tube of toothpaste finally evicted it.